M A I N   N E W S

Kachroo ragging death: HC upholds 4-yr RI
Vijay Arora
Legal Correspondent

Upholding the conviction, a Division Bench comprising Justices RB Misra and Surinder Singh enhanced the fine on the convicts from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh each. Aman Kachroo, a 19-year-old first-year MBBS student at Rajindra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, was allegedly thrashed by his four seniors which led to his death on March 8, 2009.

The incident evoked a strong reaction across the country forcing the state government to order a magisterial inquiry and enact the Anti-Ragging Act that provides for stringent punishment in such cases.

According to the prosecution charges, the four accused had gone to the first-year-students’ hostel in an inebriated state during the intervening night of March 6 and 7, 2009.

They made the juniors stand in a line and beat them up. Kachroo was slapped and his head pushed against a wall due to which he suffered perforation in an ear. His condition deteriorated the next day and he died on March 8. All the accused were less than 21 years of age at that time.

The trial in the district court commenced on June 1, 2009, and the accused were sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on November 11, 2010.

Tragic end

• March 6-7, 2009: The four accused rag juniors, including Aman Kachroo, in hostel. The MBBS student suffers injuries
• March 8, 2009: Aman dies
• June 1, 2009: Trial commences
• November 11, 2010: Accused sentenced to 4-year jail
• April 4, 2013: HC upholds sentence